{{Short description|British diplomat}} {{about||the Royal Navy officer|John Alfred Moreton}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Sir John Oscar Moreton''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|KCMG|KCVO|MC}} (28 December 1917 – 14 October 2012) was a British diplomat.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/155464/moreton |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022002836/http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/155464/moreton |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |title=Announcements: Moreton |date=22 October 2012 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=22 October 2012}}</ref> ==Early life== Moreton born in Oakham, Rutland, and was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford and Trinity College, Oxford. He served in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1944, following the Battle of Kohima.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9740344/Sir-John-Moreton.html |title=Sir John Moreton |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=12 December 2012 |location=London |accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="Indy">{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-moreton-war-hero-who-as-a-postwar-diplomat-helped-to-dismantle-the-british-empire-8269759.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220613/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-moreton-war-hero-who-as-a-postwar-diplomat-helped-to-dismantle-the-british-empire-8269759.html |archive-date=13 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=John Moreton: War hero who, as a postwar diplomat, helped to dismantle the British empire |first=Anne |last=Keleny |work=The Independent |date=31 October 2012 |publisher=INM |location=London |accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref>
==Diplomatic career== Moreton joined the Diplomatic Service in 1946. After postings to Kenya (1953–55) and Nigeria (1961–64), he served as Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Vietnam from 1969 to 1971. He was then the High Commissioner to Malta from 1972 to 1974, and between 1975 and 1977, served in the United States, first as Deputy Permanent Representative in the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, and then as Minister in Washington, the deputy to the Ambassador.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="Indy"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U28019 |title=Moreton, Sir John (Oscar) |work=Who's Who 2008 |publisher=A & C Black |year=2008 |accessdate=11 October 2008}}</ref>
He was appointed CMG in 1966 and KCMG in 1978, and KCVO in 1976.<ref name="Indy"/>
Following his retirement, Moreton served as Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod<ref name="Indy"/> from 19 October 1979 – 24 July 1992.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef | before = Murray MacLehose }} {{s-ttl | title = British Ambassador to Vietnam | years = 1969–1971 }} {{s-aft | after = Brooks Richards }} {{s-court}} {{succession box | before=Sir Anthony Abell | title=Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod | years=1979–1992 | after=Sir John Margetson}} {{s-end}}
==External links== *[http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/dispatcher.aspx?action=search&database=ChoiceArchive&search=priref=110050173 Archives of Sir John Moreton at the University of London]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreton, John}} Category:1917 births Category:2012 deaths Category:People from Oakham Category:People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Royal Artillery officers Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Vietnam Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Malta Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:British expatriates in Kenya Category:British expatriates in Nigeria Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:Military personnel from Rutland